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Party Politics
A political podcast from two smart guys providing you with up-to-date policy and politics for your next cocktail party.
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Houston Matters
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Houston Public Media Local Newscasts
Local newscasts from Houston Public Media, updated during drive times.
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Harris County
Former Lina Hidalgo staffer under indictment in Harris County seeks to void new search warrants
Posted on · Attorneys for Alex Triantaphyllis, one of three former Hidalgo staffers who have been accused of steering a lucrative government contract to a preferred vendor, claim in a motion filed Monday that new search warrants obtained in the case are overly broad and based on falsified information.
Weather
Houston area had quiet year for hurricane season, meteorologist says
Posted on · While the Atlantic Ocean was rife with activity, very few storms made their way into the Gulf of Mexico – thanks, in part, to the same conditions that ushered in this summer’s brutal heatwave.
Criminal Justice
Detention officer arrested, accused of smuggling marijuana into the Harris County Jail
Posted on · Authorities say 24-year-old Robert Robertson, who had been working with the Harris County Sheriff's Office for about six years, allegedly passed along marijuana to people in the jail. He was arrested Tuesday morning.
Fort Bend
Fort Bend small town Weston Lakes swears in mayor for second term after canceled election
Posted on · The mayor and two city council members were running unopposed, so council voted to cancel the election to save money.
Transportation
Houston officials create truck route plan, limiting 18 wheelers on certain city streets
Posted on · The city will designate certain roads as truck routes, preventing big trucks with three or more axles or weighing more than 26,000 pounds from driving on smaller streets, with the exception of deliveries being performed.
Houston Matters
Two friends remain connected through their experience with breast cancer
Posted on · A new book documents the journey between two women who experienced breast cancer at the same time
Education News
Rice University relocates statue, remains of slave-owning founder as part of quad redesign
Posted on · Construction began earlier this month on the long-planned redesign of Rice's Academic Quadrangle and is expected to be complete by the spring. A statue of university founder William Marsh Rice is being moved from the center of the courtyard to a less-prominent location.
Books & Libraries
Controversial League City library book policy draft draws termination of city attorney
Posted on · Councilman Chad Tressler said some councilmembers aimed to terminate the city attorney for early drafts to the controversial library book policy, which he referred to as a "pile of crap" on Tuesday.
Voting
U.S. 5th Circuit sets Galveston County redistricting case appeal for May 2024
Posted on · Plaintiffs in the case are seeking rapid intervention by the U.S. Supreme Court to force the county to redraw its political map in line with the Voting Rights Act. Stephen Holmes, the county commissioner at the center of the case, is up for reelection next year.
Houston Mayor
Mayor Sylvester Turner calls John Whitmire’s diversity comment a “dog whistle” on his administration
Posted on · In a recent mayoral debate, Sen. John Whitmire said though the city of Houston is the most diverse, city hall does not reflect that. Turner said the comment was "blatant misrepresentation."
Houston Matters
Political Roundup: Assessing the mayoral runoff
Posted on · State Senator Whitmire and Congresswoman Jackson Lee debate after polling shows Whitmire holds a 7-point lead.
Houston
Workers rights case highlights the struggle immigrant women face in the workplace
Posted on · Employees at Houston Shutters claim they suffered sexual harassment and unjust firings. Now, they’re filing a federal complaint.
Transportation
US mediators reject attempt by American Airlines flight attendants to clear the path for a strike
Posted on · There will be no strike by American Airlines flight attendants around the Christmas and New Year's holidays. Federal mediators have rejected a request by the attendants' union to begin a 30-day countdown toward a strike.
Transportation
Houston Midtown Greyhound bus station to end service Thursday, property still listed for sale
Posted on · Residential high rises, mid-rise multifamily homes, restaurants, and bars surround the soon-to-be vacant bus stop building in midtown, which quickly became high real estate in a rapidly growing central Houston neighborhood.
Polls
Mayor Sylvester Turner gets relatively high marks from likely voters as he prepares to depart
Posted on · The Houston Public Media/Houston Chronicle/UH Political Science and Population Health Poll found 49% of respondents held either a strongly favorable or somewhat favorable view of Turner’s time in office.
Houston Matters
Abortion law at the Texas Supreme Court (Nov. 29, 2023)
Posted on · On Wednesday's show: The Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments yesterday about whether the state’s abortion law harms women who face complications during pregnancy. We take a closer look at the legal questions at play. And we discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.
Houston Matters
How a background in improv helps Ben Schwartz voice Sonic the Hedgehog
Posted on · Schwartz, who's performing his live improv show in Houston, is known for voicing Sonic in the recent movies and for roles like the shallow trust fund baby Jean-Ralphio Saperstein on "Parks and Rec."
Court
Texas Supreme Court will decide if the state’s abortion ban causes harm to patients and doctors
Posted on · The state’s high court justices will decide whether to uphold an injunction on a Texas abortion law that reproductive rights advocates say endangers the lives of pregnant Texans.
Animals
As temperatures drop in Houston, feral hogs can be seen closer inside city limits
Posted on · One location where business owners are fighting back against the feral hogs is just south of Beltway 8 and 290. Feral hogs have taken up residence in a patch of land behind some businesses along the feeder road.
Houston Matters
Gulf Coast oil spill likely to have small impact in Texas, expert says
Posted on · The leaks from Houston-based Third Coast Infrastructure have stopped. It's estimated to be the largest oil spill in the US since BP's Deepwater Horizon.